Chilling apparatus



Dec-15, s. s. HARRINGTON 2,266,032

Y crunmue APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 1.6, 1941 B, s. HARRINGTON CHILLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1940 {Sheets-Shed 2 CHILLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1,940

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1941- B. s. HARRINGTON 2,266,032

CHILLING APPARATUS I I Filed m. 2, i940 4 She etsSheet 4.

Patented Dec. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHILLING APPARATUS Bertie S. Harrington, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 2, 1940, Serial No. 312,180

11 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for chilling liquid materials, such for example as lard, compound and shortening, and one object thereof is to provide an apparatus for this purpose which is an improvement upon, and has certain inherent advantages ,over previously designed chilling apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chilling apparatus comprising concentric relatively rotatable inner and outer chilling drums, one of which has in the face thereof that is opposite the other drum a longitudinal series of serially connected continuous circumferential grooves through which the liquid material to be chilled is adapted to flow under pressure, and the other of which carries a comb-type knife bar with the teeth thereof fitting within the grooves and adapted during relative rotation of the two drums to scrape the sides and bottoms of the grooves and thus prevent the material from congealing or freezing thereon.

a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Another object of the invention is to provide 7 and character in which the circumferential grooves in the one drum are canted with respect to the axis of rotation in order that during relative rotation of the drums the groove edges serve to scrape the adjacent face of the other drum, and said other drum supports or carries the knife bar so that it is free to slide longitudinally back and forth in response to the cam action of the grooves during relative rotation of the drums.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chilling apparatus of the character under consideration in which the inner drum has circumferential grooves in its outer face or periphery and is hollow to provide for the circulation of a cooling medium therethrough and the outer drum carries the comb-life knife bar and is tubular so as to permit circulation therethrough of a cooling medium.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a chilling apparatus which is generally of new and improved design and not only is efficient in operation but also may be manufactured at a low and reasonable cost.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present chilling apparatus will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly'defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings which accompany and form 7 Figure 1 is a side view of a chilling apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 and illustrating in detail the cross sectional design of the outer drum and the shape and design of the circumferential grooves in the outer the inner drum;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and showing in detail the cross sectional design of the inner drum;

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and illustrating the manner in which the comb-type knife bar is carried by the outer drum for longitudinal sliding movement:

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the upper end-of the inner drum of the apparatus;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of V ing and comprises an outer drum 1 and an inner drum 8.

The outer drum is tubular in design and preferably extends vertically as shown in Figure 1. It is stationary and comprises a cylindrical irmer wall 9, a cylindrical outer wall In and a pair of end rings II and I2. The outer wall [0 extends around and is the same in length as the inner wall 9. It is of greater internal diameter than the external diameter of the inner wall 9 and forms with the inner wall and the two end rings a closed annular chamber I3. The end rings operate to hold the inner and outer walls in concentric relation, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The ring H is located at the bottom of the chamber l3 and is welded or otherwise secured to the lower ends of the inner and outer walls 9 and Ill. The ring I2 is located at the upper end of the chamber and is suitably secured to the upper ends of the side walls 9 and 10. The chamber I3 is adapted to have a coolface of.

ing medium, such as brine or a refrigerant. circulated therethrough by means of a pair of pipes l4 and ii. The pipe I4 is connected to the lower end of the chamber II by way oftan internally threaded nipple l6 and is adapted to receive the cooling medium from any suitable source. pipellis in the nature of a discharge pipe and serves to return the cooling medium to the source after flow thereof through the chamber. It extends radially with respect to the two drums. overlies the pipe l4 and is connected to the upper end of the chamber II by way ofan internally end of the inlet pipe 34 extends through a hole The threaded nipple II on the upper end of the outer wall I. of the outer drum A shell in the form of a bottom head II, a cylindrical wall i9 and'a top head 29 extends around and encloses the two drums 1 and 4.

, fits against the end ring II and is removably se-" The bottom head I! cured thereto by way of bolts 2|.x The central portion of the bottom head serves as a closure for the bottom portion of the interior of the outer drum 1. The outer margin of the bottom head projects beyond the end ring II and is ing medium from a suitable source. The upper 31 in the central portion of the bottom head I. and fits within a hole 39 in the bottom end wall 29. It is Journaled in' a ball bearing 39 in an annular seat 49 in the central portion of said bottom head 19 and 'is surrounded by a packing gland 4| so that none of the material to be chilled can escape from the inlet chamber 32 by flowing through the hole 31. The upper end of the inlet pipe 34' is welded to the bottom end wall 29 so that the innerdrum and the inlet pipe are rigidly connected to. one another. The outlet pipe 33 is located at the upper end of the apparatus 'and extends between the upper end of the chamber 3| and a pipe 42 leading back to the cooling medium source. The lower end of the pipe 35 extends through a hole 43 in the central porsame in shape and size asithe bottom-head l3 a .and forms a closure for the upper end of the interior of the outer drum I. It is removably secured to the end ring l2 by an annular series of bolts 23 and has at the outer margin thereof an annular seat 24 for the upper end of the cylindrical wall l9. The wall I! is carried by the seats 22 and 24 in concentric spaced relation with the outer wall In or the drum 1 and defines with said outer wall and the outer margins of the bottom and top heads ll and 20, an annular space 25. This space is filled with any suitable insulating material in order to prevent the absorption of external heat by the outer drum I.

When either head of the shell around the drums is removed access to the space 25 is provided. The outer drum 1 is supported and held in a fixed or stationary position by means of an upstanding bracket 26 which, as shown in Figure 1, is carried by a bed 21 and has its upper end bolted to the bottom head I! of the shell around the outer drum 1.

The inner drum 3 of the chilling apparatus is mounted within the outer drum 1 so as to rotate tral portion of the bottom head 19 and defines therewith an annular inlet chamber 32 for the material to be chilled. The upper end of the side wall 29 of the inner drum terminates beneat the upper end of the outer drum I anddefines with the superjacent central portion of the top head '29, aring shaped outlet chamber 33 for the chilled material. The bottom end wall 29 fits within and is welded to the lower end of the side wall 29 of the inner drum and the top end wall 39 fits within and is welded to the upper endof said side wall. .The cylindrical chamber 3| within the inner drum 9 is adapted to have a cooling medium circulated through it by means of a. vertically extending inlet pipe 34 and a vertically extending outlet pipe 35. The inlet pipe '34 is connected by a pipe 38 to receive the cooltion of the top head 29 of the shell around the outerdrum .I and flts'within a hole 44 in the top end wall 34. It is Journaled in a ball bearing .45 in an annular seat 43 in the central portion of the tophead 29 and is surrounded by a packin gland 41. The latter serves to seal the hole 43 in the central portion of the top head 20 and The inner drum 8 is adapted to be driven at acomparatively slow speed by means of an electric motor 43, a speed reducing unit 49 and a chain and sprocket connection. The electric motor 43 is mounted on the bed 21 and is disposed beneath the bottom head 'i 3, as shown in-Figure 1. The speed reducing unit 49 is mounted on the bed 21 alongside of the electric motor and com prises a high speed horizontally extending drive shaft SI and a low speed vertically extending driven shaft 52 as well as speed reducing gearing between; the two shafts. The shaft Si is connected to the armature shaft of the motor 49 so that it is driven when the motor is in operation. The chain and sprocket connection 90 extends between the driven shaft 52 of the speed reducing unit 49 and the inlet pipe 34 and comprises an endless chain 53 and a pair of sprockets 54 and II. The sprocket 54 is keyed to the .upper'end of the shaft 52 and operates through the medium of the chain 53 to drive the sprocket 55. The latter is keyed or otherwise fixedly secured to the inlet pipe 34 and is adapted when -driven to rotate the inner drum.

The material to be chilled is introduced under pressure into the inlet chamber 32 by way of a pipe 56 and an'L-shaped duct 51, then flows from the inlet chamber 32 to the outlet chamber 33 by way of a series of annular grooves 59 in the outer face or periphery of the side wall 29 of the inner drum 8 and finally in a chilled condition let chamber 32. The duct 51, as shown in Fig:

- nected to the discharge end of the pipe 56. The

other end of the duct 51 is in direct communication with the chamber 33. The series of grooves 58 extends from one end of the side wall 28 of the inner drum to the other end, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Each of the grooves is continuous and independent of the'other grooves, as shown in Figures 5 and 7. Notches 64 in the outer face of the side wall 28 serve serially to connect the grooves. The inlet chamber 32.communicates with the lowermost groove 58 by way of a notch 65 and the uppermost groove communicates with the outlet chamber 33 by way of a notch 66. As shown in Figure 3, every other notch 64 is located at one side of the inner drum side of the inner drum. Because of the notch arrangement the material flows successively through the grooves 58 and is finally discharged from the apparatus by way of the duct 59 and the pipe 60. As shown in Figure 2 the duct 59 is formed in an integral boss on the top head 20. During travel of the material successively through the grooves it is chilled as the result of contact with the groove defining portions of the side wall of the inner drum and the contiguous face portions of the inner wall 8 of the outer drum I. Because of the specific arrangement of the notches 54 the material traverses each groove before it fiows into, or passes to, the next groove. The grooves 58 are canted with the respect to the axis-of rotation of the inner drum 8. The

canting of the grooves is accomplished by making the grooves of undulatory design and issuch that the bottom portions of the high parts of the grooves are coplanar with thetop portionsof thev v During rotation of the inner drum 8 the groove edges 58a, due to lower parts of the grooves.

' and serves as scrapers for preventing the material from congealing or freezing on said face.

In addition to the outer and inner drums I and" 8 the apparatus comprises a comb type knife bar 61. This bar operates to scrapethe bottom and sides of the grooves 58 so as to prevent the material from congealing or freezing thereon, and consists of an elongated solid body and a series of teeth 69. The body of the knife bar fits and is longitudinally slidable in a channel bar 10. The latter is welded to and extends longitudinally of the inner wall 9 of the outer drum I. It is disposed in the chamber i 3. as shown in Figure 4. and extends from one end of the outer drum to the other. The interior of thechannel bar communicates with the interior of the inner wall 9 of the outer drum by way of a longitudinal slot II in said innerwall 9. The teeth 69 of the knife bar project inwardly and fit within the grooves 58. They are of such width and length that they engage the sides and bottoms of the grooves 58 and thus effect the desired scraping of the grooves. During rotation of the inner drum 8 the appended claims without departing from in connection with the operation of the apparatus culated through theannular chamber l8 in the chamber 8| in the inner drum 8 and current is being supplied to the electric motor 48, the oper-T ation of the apparatus is as follows:

The material to be chilled is drawn from the tank 6| into the pipe 56 as a result of the operation of the pump 62 and is forced un'cler pressure through the L shaped duct 51 in the boss 88 into the inlet chamber 82. From this the material fiows under pressurethrough the notch into the lowermost groove 58. From the latter the material fiows successively through the remaining grooves and finally passes into the outlet chamber38 by way of the notch 66,, As the material passes successively through the grooves 58 it comes in contact with the sides and bottoms of the grooves and the adjacent face portions of the inner wall of the outer drum and it is chilled. Freezing of the material on the bottoms and sides of the grooves and the aforementioned face portions of the inner wall of the outer drum is' prevented, as heretofore polnted out, by the scraping action of the comb typ knife bar 81 and the groove edges 58a. From the outlet chamber 83 the chilled material, flows through the duct 59 and the pipe 80. During operation of the apparatus the inner drum 8 is constantly and slowly rotated in order that the knife bar 58 and the groove edges 58a effect or produce the desired it produces a comparatively quick chill. As a result of the fact that the two drums are surrounded by an insulation filled shell consisting of the heads l8 and 20 and the'wall l8,'the desired chilling action is obtained with a minimum amount ofcooling medium. Due to the fact that the apparatus is positioned vertically it is possible readily to drain the inner and outer drums in the event that a refrigerant is used as the cooling medium and the flood system of chilling is employed. If the apparatus is used to chill lard, compound, shortening or other material into which air is pumped or otherwise introduced prior to the chilling operation no loss of air occurs in connection with the chilling operation because the apparatus provides a closed circuit for the material.

Whereas the apparatus has been described as being particularly designed for use in connection with the chilling of lard, compound or shortening it is to be understood that it may be used to chill other forms or types of liquid materials.

It is also to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted'to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a chilling apparatus of the character described, the combination of inner and outer relatively rotatable chilling drums, one of the drums having in the face thereof opposite the other drum a longitudinal series of individual laterally spaced continuous circumferential grooves and in addition cross notches serving serially to connect the grooves, means for flowing the material to be chilled successively through said laterally spaced -therein.. I

q drums having in the face thereof opposite'the other' drurn a longitudinal series of individual laterally spaced continuous circumferential grooves and in addition cross notches serving serially to connect the grooves, pressure means for flowing the material-to be chilled successively .through the grooves for chilling purposes, and

a comb type knife bar carried by the said other drum and, having the teeth thereof fitting' in the grooves respectively and adapted during relative rotation ofthe drums to prevent congealing or freezing of the" material in said grooves. 3. In a chilling apparatus of the character described, the combination of inner and outer relatively rotatable chilling-drums, one of the drums having in the face thereof opposite the other drum a full length longitudinal series of individual laterally spaced continuous circumferential grooves together with staggered notches between and serially connecting said grooves, pressure *means for flowing the material to be chilled successively through the grooves for chilling purposes, and'means for scraping the grooves during relative rotation of the drums in order to prevent congealing or freezing of the material therein.

4.. In a chilling apparatus of the character described, the'combination of inner and outer chilling drums mounted for relative rotation and having the opposed faces thereof in sliding contact, one of the drums having in its sliding contact face' a longitudinal series of individual continuous circumferential grooves disposed in canted relation with the axis of rotation and also having said face provided with cross notches serving serially to connect the grooves, pressure means for flowing the material ,to be chilled successively through the grooves for chilling purposes, and means for scraping the grooves during relative rotation of the drums in order to prevent congealing or freezing of the material therein.

5. In a chilling apparatus of the character described, the combination of inner and 'outer chilling drumsmourited for relative rotation and having'theopposed faces thereof in sliding contact, one drum havingin its sliding contact face a full length longitudinal series of individual laterally-spaced continuous circumferential undulatory'grooves together with staggered cross notches. between and serially connecting the grooves, pressure means forfiowing the material to be chilled successively through the grooves for chilling purposes, means for rotating one of the drums relatively to the otherdrum, and means .for scraping the grooves during rotation of the last'mentioned one drum in order to prevent congealing'; or freezing of the material 6. In a chilling apparatus of the character described, the combination of inner and outer chilling drums mounted'forrelative rotation and having the opposed faces thereof in sliding contact; one of the drums having in its sliding con tact face a longitudinal series of individual laterally spaced continuous circumferential grooves disposed in canted relation with the axis of rotation, and also having in said face a plurality of cross notches serving serially to connect the grooves, pressure means for. flowing the material to be chilled successively through said grooves for chilling purposes, and a comb type knife bar with the teeth thereof fitting in the grooves respectively, serving to prevent congealing and freezing of the material in the grooves during rotation of the drums, and carried-by the other drum so that it is longitudinally slidable in response to the cam action of the canted grooves.

7. In a chilling apparatus of the character described, the combination of inner and outer relatively rotatable chilling drums, the inner drum having the outer face thereof in sliding contact with the inner face of the outer drum and provided with a longitudinal series of individual laterally spaced continuous circumferential grooves and in addition cross notches between and serving serially to connect the grooves, means forflowing the material to be chilled successively through the grooves for chilling purposes, means for rotating one of the drums relatively to the other drum. and means carried by the outer drum for scraping the grooves during ro tation of the one drum in order to prevent congealing or freezing of the material therein.

8. In a chilling apparatus of the character described, the combination of inner and outer relatively rotatable chilling drums, the 'inner drum having the outer face thereof in sliding contact with the inner face of the outer drum and provided with a longitudinal series of individual laterally spaced continuous v circumferential grooves together with cross notches between and serving serially to connect the grooves, means for flowing the material to be chilled successively through the grooves for chilling purposes, means for rotating the inner drum, and means carried by the outer drum for scraping the grooves during rotation of the inner drum longitudinal series of individual laterally spaced continuous circumferential grooves and in addition cross notches between and serving serially to connect the grooves, means for circulating a cooling medium through the two drums, means for flowing the material to be chilled successively through the grooves for chilling purposes,

means for rotating the inner drum, andmeans carried by the outer drum for scraping the grooves during rotation of the inner drum in order to prevent freezing. material therein.

10. In a chilling apparatus of the character described, the combination of astationary'hollow tubular outer drum, a relatively rotatable hollow cylindrical inner drum having the outer face thereof in sliding contact with the inner face of the outer drum and provided with a longitudinal series 'of individual laterally spaced continuous circumferential grooves extending in canted relation with the axis of rotation and also provided with cross-notches between and serving serially to connect the grooves, means or congealing of the terial to be chilled successively through the grooves for chilling purposes, means for rotating the inner drum, and a comb type knife bar having the teeth thereof fitting in, and serving to scrape, the grooves respectively, and carried by the outer drum so that it is slidable longitudinally in response to the cam action of the grooves. a

11. In a chilling apparatus of the character described, the combination of inner and outer chilling drums, a shell extending around the outer drum and having end heads in lapped re= lation with the ends of the outer drum and forming with the ends of the inner drum inlet and outlet chambers, said inner drum being rotatable relatively to the outer drum and having its outer face in sliding contact with the inner face of the outer drum and provided with a substantially full length longitudinal series of individual lat-- erally spaced continuous circumferential grooves and also provided with notches between and serving serially to connect the grooves and additional notches establishing communication between the end grooves and said chambers, means for flowing the material to be chilled under pressure into the inlet chamber for passage through the grooves to the outer chamber, means for rotating the inner drum, and means carried by the outer drum for scraping the grooves during rotation of said inner drum in order to prevent congealing or freezing of the material therein. BERTIE S. HARRINGTON. 

